Corrosion may be defined as the gradual destruction of a material, usually by means of a chemical process. Inorganic or organic chemicals which prevent or slow-down the rate of destruction are called inhibitors. As corrosion may occur under a variety of environmental conditions, different inhibitors have been developed to provide protection for particular situations.
A number of industrial processes (e.g., dissolving of mineral incrustations and acidizing of oil wells) involve the application of hydrochloric or other acids having the capacity to corrode metal surfaces. It is common, therefore, to employ organic film forming compositions during such applications to inhibit corrosion. These film forming inhibitors function to coat the metallic pipe surfaces, usually via the adsorption of molecular polar groups.
It is the object of this invention to provide an effective corrosion inhibitor exhibiting superior film-forming characteristics under highly acidic environments.